SpaceX’s Starlink May Be Crippling Vital Research, Scientists Say

Astronomy gave us GPS, WiFi and medical imaging, but the spillover from space exploration to everyday life is under threat if mega-constellations of satellites continue to launch. That's according to a new study by radio astronomers that reveals that the new second generation of SpaceX Starlink satellites emits 32 times more radio interference than first generation hardware.


Radio Astronomy

Starlink is SpaceX’s service that offers broadband access using low-orbit satellites. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics in September, the paper’s authors used the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope, which has antennae in seven countries. It’s the largest radio telescope operating at the lowest frequencies that can be observed from Earth.


“Without mitigations, very soon the only constellations we will see will be human-made,” said Professor Jessica Dempsey, general and scientific director of ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. “We have the solutions for this symbiosis in space as well – we just need the regulators to support us and the industry to meet us halfway.
Effect Of Starlink Satellites

While the first generation of Starlink satellites emits radio waves that can hinder astronomical observations, say the researchers, the new ‘V2-mini’ Starlink satellites emit far more unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR). “Compared to the faintest astrophysical sources that we observe with LOFAR, UEMR from Starlink satellites is 10 million times brighter,” said Cees Bassa at ASTRON and the lead author of the study. “This difference is similar to the faintest stars visible to the naked eye and the brightness of the full Moon. Since SpaceX is launching about 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week, this problem is becoming increasingly worse.”
Mega-Constellations Are Growing

SpaceX currently has 6,413 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to the website of astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks them. About a third of them are second-gen. However, there are plans to make Starlink a constellation of as many as 42,000. SpaceX is also not the only company that wants to offer broadband access anywhere on the planet using low-orbit satellites.

Website: International Research Scientist Awards



#Professor, #Lecturer, #Scientist, #Scholar, #Researcher, #Analyst, #Engineer, #Technician, #Coordinator, #Specialist, #Writer, #Assistant, #Associate, #Biologist, #Chemist, #Physicist, #Statistician, #DataScientist, #Consultant, #Coordinator, #ResearchScientist, #SeniorScientist, #JuniorScientist, #PostdoctoralResearcher, #LabTechnician, #ResearchCoordinator, #PrincipalInvestigator, #ClinicalResearchCoordinator, #GrantWriter, #R&DManager, #PolicyAnalyst, #TechnicalWriter, #MarketResearchAnalyst, #EnvironmentalScientist, #SocialScientist, #EconomicResearcher, #PublicHealthResearcher, #Anthropologist, #Ecologist

More Details:

Tilte: International Research Scientist Awards
website: researchscientist.net
Visit Our Award nomination: researchscientist.net/award-nomina...
Contact Us: research@researchscientist.net


Get Connected Here;


Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61...
Instagram: www.instagram.com/researchscientist8/?next=%2F
Twitter: x.com/scientistaward
Pinterest: in.pinterest.com/ResearchScientist...
Blogger: www.blogger.com/profile/0625116998...
Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/blog/researchscient...